


Eight Crazy Nights

by Gala_and_Elle, theletterelle



Series: Slantverse [48]
Category: Bandom, Cobra Starship
Genre: Jewish Holidays, Multi, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Presents, Shoes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-28
Updated: 2011-12-28
Packaged: 2017-11-14 17:40:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gala_and_Elle/pseuds/Gala_and_Elle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theletterelle/pseuds/theletterelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Put on the yarmulke! It's time for Gabe and Victoria and Nate to celebrate Chanukah!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eight Crazy Nights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bootson](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bootson/gifts).



“Okay,” says Gabe. He turns out most of the lights and comes back to the dining table. “The first thing we do is the menorahs. I’ve set up one for each of you.”

“Why do we each have one?” says Victoria. “I thought it was just one.”

Gabe waves that away. “That’s for people who don’t know what they’re doing. You’re supposed to have one each.”

Nate isn’t sure that’s right, but Gabe probably knows more about this than he does, so he picks up his menorah. It’s made of clear acrylic planes intersecting to form the candlesticks. It looks cool, like Jews in Space or something. He picks up a candle and the matches, and looks to Gabe for more instructions.

“Okay. The candle in the center, the shamash, you light that first, and use that to light the one all the way on the right. We’re supposed to say the blessings in Hebrew, but I don’t think you guys would be able to pronounce some of the words, so we’ll do English. Repeat after me,” says Gabe. “Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah lights.”

Nate raises his eyebrows at Victoria, who jerks her head toward Gabe. Nate obediently repeats the words along with Victoria.

“Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors, in ancient days, at this season.”

They say it. Nate’s a little confused. Gabe is Jewish, yeah, but that never stops him from doing shit on Friday night. He’s never been to synagogue that Nate knows of.

“Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.”

After they’ve repeated the third blessing, Gabe lights his candle and places it in his menorah. Nate and Victoria do the same. For a moment, the flames are all that illuminates their faces. It’s eerie and beautiful. “We light these lights,” Gabe intones, “for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles that you made for our forefathers, in those days at this season, through your holy priests. During all eight days of Chanukah these lights are sacred. We are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but only to look at them, in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name for your miracles, Your wonders and your salvations.”

All three of them fall silent, gazing at the candles. Then Gabe claps his hands and gets up to turn the lights back on. “Put the menorahs in the window. They’re supposed to light the outside.”

Nate takes his and Gabe’s and returns for Victoria’s. “Presents now?” he asks, coming back to the table.

“Don’t be greedy,” says Gabe, sounding exactly like one of his moms. “Presents later. Next, food.” He hurries into the kitchen. “I made all this,” he calls back, “so you have to like it. I don’t want to hear shit from either of you.”

Nate can’t help but grin. Gabe’s more excited than Nate’s ever seen him, and that includes at his birthday party. He can see what Gabe would have been like as a little kid. Victoria looks like she’s suppressing a laugh. She leans over to ruffle Nate’s hair, and Nate leans into it. Gabe finds them like that when he comes back, plates in hand. “Hey, no. You two don’t get to start without me.”

“Then get your ass over here, stupid,” says Victoria, reaching out an arm. “No one’s stopping you.”

Gabe pushes his way between them and hugs them close to his chest. Nate loves this. He feels safe with his doms, safe and happy and _right_. He turns his head and licks Victoria’s face. She kisses his temple. Gabe pets Nate’s hair, and Nate snuggles back against him, letting his breath out in a contented growl.

They stay that way for a moment, until Gabe prods them both. “It’s going to get cold. C’mon.” He sets Nate’s plate in front of him, and Victoria’s in front of her. “Carrot salad, tofu brisket, and latkes. Eat!”

“You made this?” Victoria looks at him suspiciously.

“What? I said I did.”

“Not Sarita?”

“No! I used her recipes, though. Oh my God, just eat and quit arguing.”

Nate lets them argue and dives into his food. It’s _good_. He doesn’t care who made it. The tofu practically dissolves in his mouth, and the latkes are fried dark and crispy, and when they’re done it’s time for _presents_. “If you guys don’t eat I’m opening all the presents without you.”

“See?” Gabe says to Victoria. “Nate’s eating, and he’s not dead yet.”

“‘sgood,” says Nate with his mouth full. “Seriously good.”

Gabe beams at him.

-o-

Nate loves presents-- giving, getting, watching other people open them, it’s all good. He has to restrain himself from barking impatiently for Gabe and Victoria to get into the living room and get going. “Coming,” Victoria calls, “coming, just one... second-- Gabe, cut it out, c’mon.” She stumbles into the living room, flushed and disarranged, with Gabe right behind her. Nate rolls his eyes and slides to the floor at her feet when she sits down. Gabe picks up wrapped gifts from behind the sofa and presents them to both. “We take turns. Victoria, then Nate, then me.”

Victoria tears the wrapping off her present and opens the box. “Oh wow. _Hot._ ” She holds up a pair of shiny red spike-heeled pumps, her eyes sparking. “I love them!” She is going to look amazing in those, Nate knows, a full head taller than Nate himself and almost equal in height to Gabe. Spectacular.

While Victoria’s giving Gabe a thank-you kiss (which is turning more into a thank-you gropefest), Nate rips the paper off his own gift and makes a noise. “This is. Just. Awesome.”

It’s a leash, but unlike Nate’s durable nylon leash, this one is made of soft braided rope, dyed deep red to match Victoria’s heels. Nate rubs it on his face and barely refrains from licking it. It’s too nice to be licked.

“I’m good at presents,” says Gabe without a hint of modesty. “Victoria, put on the shoes and try Nate’s leash out with him. I want a picture.”

The best one shows Victoria looking at the camera with a sly smile, while Nate on his knees beside her looks up adoringly. “I am so having this printed,” says Gabe. “Like, poster size. I can jerk off to it every night before I fall asleep.”

“Romantic, Saporta,” snorts Victoria. Gabe wiggles his eyebrows at her. “Okay, sit down,” she says. “My turn.”

Nate’s present from her is a set of two bowls inscribed with his name. “One for each house,” says Victoria. “I know we have bowls set aside for you already, but these are special.”

They really are. Nate can’t help it; he lets out a small yip, and Victoria and Nate both laugh.

Gabe’s present is clothes. “I don’t know why you like this stuff,” says Victoria as he unfolds the bright pink hoodie, “but you do, and I’ve given up on trying to change that.” The socks are purple, the shoes neon green. Nate may be going blind.

Gabe just laughs. “I knew you’d get it someday.”

“I’m not convinced, I’m giving in. There’s a difference.” Victoria nudges him with her shoulder. He nudges her back.

“Me next! Okay.” Nate runs over to his backpack and pulls out his presents. “Victoria first.”

She unwraps a small flat box and pulls out a long, red knitted-silk scarf. “I asked my dad to make it,” says Nate. “I picked out the yarn, though.”

“It’s so gorgeous.” Victoria’s smile makes Nate wiggle. “Did you and Gabe work this out together? To make everything match?”

“Nope.” Nate squirms a little bit into Gabe’s side.

“You’re just a red girl,” says Gabe. “I’m a purple guy, but pink is close enough.”

Nate nudges Gabe’s arm with his nose. “Open yours. Open it.”

There’s no sound for a second when Gabe sees his present. Victoria leans over to see it, then lets her head fall onto Nate. “Ohhhhh no.”

“Oh _yes_ ,” says Gabe. His grin has lit up his face. “This is brilliant. This is perfect. This is everything I ever needed, and I’m going to keep it close to me forever.”

“I made it,” said Nate. “In art, we did a chapter on bookbinding and I used this for my semester project.”

It’s a journal. Blank inside, neatly sewn together with a bookboard cover emblazoned in gold letters. _Times Gabe Saporta Was Right and Nobody Listened._

“I will never,” vowed Gabe, “love anyone more than I love you right now. You have my vast and eternal love.”

Nate bounds onto the sofa into Gabe’s lap. Even though dogs aren’t usually allowed on the furniture, he figures Gabe will make an exception for Chanukah, and he’s right; Gabe strokes his hair and scratches under his chin and rubs his belly, and when Victoria sits down beside him and scratches Nate’s butt, he decides this is the best holiday ever. Fuck Christmas.

-o-

“You have to come over,” says Gabe in Nate’s ear. “It’s the second night. You can’t just do one night and not all the others.”

“My dad wants me to help put up the lights,” Nate argues. “I can’t get away for like another two hours yet.”

Gabe breathes into the phone for a second. Nate knows he’s frustrated, but what the hell else is he supposed to do?

“Tell him your dom wants you over here now,” Gabe says. “Like, _now_.”

Nate shakes his head. “It won’t help, man. He’s just gonna say I can sex it up after I’m done with chores.”

“Your dad really says sex it up?”

“My dad is an idiot.”

“Okay, yeah, I’ll go with that. Okay. Well, call me when you’re done. Victoria’s here. We’ll figure out something to do till then.”

“Yeah,” says Nate into the phone, but Gabe’s already hung up. Figures. Nate grabs the staple gun and trudges outside.

When he finally gets there, Gabe’s mom Sarita waves him up to Gabe’s room. “Tell him we want you all down here for dinner in an hour!”

“Si, mamita!” Nate scrambles upstairs, on his hands and knees once he’s out of sight of the kitchen. He whines and scratches at Gabe’s door, and Victoria opens it up to let him in. She’s wearing the new shoes. Nate rubs his face on them before he crawls in.

Gabe’s on the bed, naked, arms and legs stretched out and blindfolded eyes staring up at the ceiling. Nate looks up at Victoria for permission. She’s naked too, except for the shoes, and she’s got that evil gleam in her eye that means Gabe’s seriously going to get it. “Clothes off, boy. That’s a good boy.” Her voice pets Nate’s ears as he wiggles out of his clothes. “Go see Gabe, baby, go see what Gabe’s doing.”

Gabe’s not doing much. He flinches when Nate’s snuffling nose buries itself in his crotch. “Jesus, Victoria, I’m gonna--”

Victoria hauls Nate back by the shoulder. “No, boy, not there. That’s a good dog. Gabe’s going to think about what he did, isn’t he? Gabe’s going to think about _why_ he isn’t allowed to come. Not tonight, and maybe not ever again.”

Nate whines a question and licks Victoria’s hand. She understands. “Tell him what you told me, Gabe.” Her voice is sharp like a whipcrack.

“It’s traditional,” he wheezes. “How do you not know that? Anyway, it doesn’t matter that you didn’t get me anything. I don’t need anything.”

“You never _said_. I bet Nate didn’t know either. Natey, puppy, did you know we were doing eight nights of presents?”

Nate blinks up at her. “That’s what I thought. You should have told us, you asshole.”

“Fine! I’m sorry, okay, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you to buy me a shitload of stuff I don’t need OWWW!” Victoria has the nails of one hand dug into Gabe’s thigh, the other pinching his nipple. “Ohhh, goddammit--”

“It wouldn’t matter,” says Victoria conversationally, tightening her grip and eliciting another moan from Gabe, “if none of us were doing gifts. If we just did the first night, like Nate and I thought was going on. But you tricked us, baby. Not cool, not at all. Nate, bite him.”

Nate’s a good dog, despite how dangerous his collar makes him look. He’s not supposed to bite. But Victoria told him to, and he’ll admit he’s kind of pissed off at Gabe himself, so he scoots down to Gabe’s calf and takes the muscle in his teeth, pressing hard enough to hurt but not to break the skin.

“You turned my own pup against me?” Gabe sounds indignant until Victoria’s nails pinch his balls, then he cries out again. “Ow, ow, okay, shit, okay, I’m sorry, I apologize from now until the end of _time_ , okay, just either let me come or stop teasing because seriously, my balls are gonna fucking explode if we keep this up.”

Nate whines and licks Gabe’s calf, then Victoria’s thigh. Gabe’s been a douche, yeah, but there are presents, and Nate’s curious to see what they are. Victoria shakes her head at him, but sighs and lets Gabe go. “Okay. No coming, but you can get up for now.”

Gabe shucks the blindfold off. “Thank God. Jesus, you’re harsh.”

“I’m harsh because I have to be,” says Victoria. “All right, if there are presents, let’s see them.”

Gabe hands them each a wrapped package. Victoria opens hers first. She takes one look, snorts, and starts giggling. “You are a crazy person. Where did you even get these?”

“You said you wanted them.” Gabe’s still wincing a little, but grinning as well. His hardon is coming down, and Nate wishes he could knock Gabe down and take care of it, but he won’t risk Victoria’s wrath.

“I said that back in _February,_ dammit, we weren’t even testing then!”

“So?”

The shoes are nice. Felted woolen clogs from Norway, they have cork soles and look comfortable as hell. “They aren’t sexy, Gabriel.” The words are disapproving, but the tone isn’t.

“No,” Gabe agrees. “You don’t need sexy shoes to be sexy. You do that all on your own.” Nate licks her arm in agreement, and she smiles and rubs his hair. The look she turns on Gabe says she forgives him.

“And now my pup.” Gabe watches expectantly as Nate opens his package. It’s New Vegas, which Nate never did get last year and has been secretly wanting ever since. Nate yips in appreciation and launches himself at Gabe to lick his face and chew on his ear. Victoria falls on top of them both, and they cuddle until Sarita calls for them to light the candles for the second night.

-o-

“No getting mad,” says Gabe on the third night. His voice is firm. “I’m serious. I don’t care that you don’t have gifts for me; that’s not the point. The point is that I have _planned_ this and if you fuck it up, I will feel bad.”

Ouch. Gabe knows where to aim. Nate hunches down and Victoria pets him. “Okay, we get the point. We’re not mad, right puppy? Let’s go.”

Nate’s gift is Arkham City. _Sick._ “Thank you!” he says, leaving Nate-the-dog behind just for a second, because he wants Gabe to see how much he loves this. “I didn’t even tell anyone I wanted this!”

“I knew,” says Gabe modestly. “I’m good like that.”

Victoria’s is a pair of kitten heel peep-toes. She has to explain what that means to Nate, and turns a suspicious look on Gabe. “How did you even know what these are, much less know I’d like them?”

“Like I said,” says Gabe, “I’m good at that.”

-o-

Nate is a little nervous sitting down for day four. He’s done the math, and Gabe’s spent well over a hundred bucks on him already, and they aren’t even halfway through. He doesn’t know how much Victoria’s shoes cost, but if they’re in the same price range, he doesn’t know how Gabe got the money without knocking over a liquor store or something.

“Mary jane platforms,” Victoria explains to Nate. He wonders who keeps all these shoe names straight. “Gabe, are my presents all shoes?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny,” says Gabe, handing Nate a small card. It turns out to be an iTunes gift card for $20. Good. Nate’s increasingly uncomfortable with all this lavish gift-giving. $20 isn’t a lot.

“Don’t spend it yet,” says Gabe. “Not till after tomorrow.”

-o-

Nate’s fifth present is an iPhone.

“Jesus Christ,” says Victoria, stunned.

“It’s Chanukah,” Gabe says patiently. “You should say ‘Judah Maccabee.’”

Nate can’t even. He looks at it again. Yep.

“I got it on my family’s plan,” Gabe explains, “so for the first year it doesn’t cost extra. And that’s why I told you to hang on to the card, so you can buy apps you want!” He’s smiling so wide; he’s so happy that Nate isn’t even going to try to protest this, say _you don’t buy expensive phones for your high school sub_. He’s just going to appreciate the gift, and the dom who’s so happy to have given it to him.

“I love it,” he says, his throat catching. “Gabe, Judah Maccabee, I love it. I love you.”

Victoria’s new shoes slide onto the floor as she yanks them both into a hug.

-o-

“I’m afraid he’s giving me a car tonight,” says Nate hollowly. He looks at Victoria. “Please don’t let him give me a car.”

Victoria just looks helpless.

-o-

On the eighth night, they light the candles and have dinner with Gabe’s family before escaping to Stonybrook Park, Nate’s favorite club. He can be on his leash there, crawling around with other dogs like him, sniffing and being sniffed and chasing sticks and panting happily. The inside park is real grass, not astroturf, and the paths are made of springy rubber to be gentle on knees. Nate walks to heel like a good boy, following Gabe and Victoria around the park until they sit on a bench and he sprawls at their feet.

“Last gift,” says Gabe, handing Victoria a box. “Am I forgiven yet?”

“We’ll see,” she says, arching an eyebrow at the size of the box. “Shoes, I’m assuming?”

“Assume if you want. Just open them.”

The paper crinkles and falls to the ground by Nate. There’s a sharp intake of breath, then silence. “Oh Gabe,” breathes Victoria. “No. You can’t.”

“Yes I can. You’d be surprised what I can do, given enough lead time.” Gabe opens the box for her and hands her one of the boots-- shiny red vinyl, heels so high she’ll top Gabe by an inch, black ribbon lacing up the backs like a corset. Even if Nate weren’t a dog right now, he’d be stunned into silence by these shoes.

“How can you even afford all this?” Victoria asks. “You don’t have a job, and I’m pretty sure your allowance doesn’t cover two-hundred-dollar boots.”

“Eh.” Gabe shrugs. “You know how it is. Presents from Grandma here, a sorry-I-broke-up-with-your-moms-and-left-you-guys gift from Dad there, a few nights hauling and stacking boxes at the 24-hour grocery store over there. It all works out.”

“You’re fucking unbelievable, you know that?” Victoria’s trying to sound stern, but it doesn’t work. Nate licks her hand, and she pets him. “How long have you been planning all this?”

Nate can feel Gabe’s shrug. “Since we started testing, basically. I figured if you guys kicked me out, I’d at least have some money saved up.”

 _We weren’t going to kick you out,_ Nate wants to say. _The first night, I knew that wasn’t going to happen._ But dogs don’t talk, so Nate sniffs Gabe’s shoes and sits up to press his head on Gabe’s knee.

“Nate loved you,” says Victoria. Nate blinks at her. He didn’t know she knew. “Nate loved you right away. I was a little bit jealous, but. It all worked out. Right puppy?” She ruffles Nate’s hair, and Nate thumps his foot on the grass.

“I’m glad it did,” says Gabe, an arm going around Victoria’s shoulders. He leans down and kisses her, strong and deep. “I love you both.”

Gabe and Victoria make out on the bench for a while, Nate staring at them in happiness. They’re his people. He’s their dog. He hopes it stays like this forever.


End file.
